How Long It Takes
by Blondegirl14
Summary: Another, happier, alternate ending to the season finale of Castle. But no, I didn't throw Gina down the elevator shaft : R&R please!


Author's Note: So I was bit unhappy with the way my last story ended, so I fixed it with a happy ending :) Also, I don't own Castle, and it's a major bummer.

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Richard Castle could not believe what he was hearing. Standing before him was Kate Beckett, hardnosed detective of the NYPD, the woman who slept with a gun, and she was telling him that she wanted to be with him. It had been a year of flirting, teasing, fighting, and crime solving, and Castle had never stopped wanting her from day one. Sure, at first it was just lust, another notch in his bedpost. But it hadn't taken long, a few cases maybe, to realize that she was going to be way more than that. And now, one year later, he would have proposed to her right then and there if he thought she would've accepted. Castle realized she was still talking, her eyes cast down a bit, her hands twirling around each other nervously. But after those initial words, Castle wasn't even sure he heard the rest. He didn't need to, her face said it all. She looked hopeful, and it was only her eyes that gave away her worry. She was arguably the best detective in the city, capable of taking down a criminal in one hit, and the thing that worried her most was the Castle of all people, would shoot her down. Kate steeled herself to look up at his eyes, noticing that he wasn't paying her much attention, and her muscles instinctively prepared to knee him in the groin should he reject her. But he was smiling; that stupid childish grin that always made her feel like she was some stupid fan girl. And in a moment, he was kissing her, his lips moving softly over hers, his hands cupping her face. No more words were needed, and somewhere in the back of Kate's mind she wished that she'd stopped talking sooner. The kiss was gentle but held in it every bit of passion Castle felt for her, and she returned it. The cheers of celebration from gang in the other room were muffled by the glass, but the two heard it and broke apart smiling, their foreheads pressed together.

"Richard?"

Castle froze. He'd completely forgotten that Gina was stopping by thinking that she was about to spend a summer in the Hamptons with him. Kate had frozen as well, her eyes searching Castle's for some sort of silent explanation. Quickly he snapped out of his trance and spun.

"Gina! Uh…," he paused, turning back to Beckett and lowering his voice, "give me a minute, I'll get rid of her."

Kate nodded curtly and stepped back, allowing Castle to turn back towards his blond ex-wife.

"Look Gina, I-"

But she cut him off with a hand held up in the air, and Castle immediately noticed the lack of luggage.

"Let me talk Rick. I saw that little… moment of yours right there. What about us Rick? I thought you were coming back to me?"

Beckett swallowed to keep herself from interjecting. This wasn't her conversation, and she had to trust Castle to take care of this. Rick had an expression of surprise on his face, and quickly corrected her once it was his turn to talk.

"Gina there hasn't been an 'us' in a long time, you know that. I still send alimony payments once a month, remember?"

The blond frowned, as that was obviously not the answer she'd been hoping for, and Beckett couldn't help but feel a tad sorry for her. But only a tad, and it was very short lived.

"Let me get this straight Rick. You're turning me down for this?"

With a perfectly manicured finger, she pointed past him at Kate.

Castle's expression turned sour for a minute, but it didn't take him long to step in in defense of Beckett.

"Her name is Kate, and yes, I'm afraid you'll have to find other plans for yourself because this is where I'm staying."

Kate felt herself smile despite herself, but tried to fight it back, not wanting to look so victorious even when she felt it. Gina looked positively ill at the thought of spending her summer alone in the city, and not in the Hamptons with Castle. She took another step closer to him, her finger now pointed menacingly at him.

"Fine, if you want to go have your little fling with cop girl there, do it. But don't come crying back to me when she realizes that you're not all your cracked up to be."

Rick was getting kind of annoyed with Gina now, though this shouldn't have surprised him one bit. He was reminded very much now of why they'd separated in the first place, and why he avoided her phone calls. With a sarcastic wave, he smiled.

"Bye Gina, you'll have the next copy of Naked Heat by the end of the month."

The blonde scoffed at him and moved to adjust her shoulder bag, her lips pursed.

"I better Rick, or that beach house of yours might be in jeopardy."

Her threat fell on empty ears though as he had walked back to stand by Kate, his arm placed protectively around her waist, surprising even her at how right it felt. It didn't take Gina long to realize she'd been long since forgotten, and with another unhappy diva noise, turned on her expensive heels on left. The last thing they saw were the elevator doors closing on the back of a blonde head.

Turning into him, Kate rested a hand on his chest and looked up at him, and Castle saw no worry in her eyes now. With a silly grin he poked her lightly in the stomach with his free hand.

"Told you I'd get rid of her."

Kate laughed and answered him with a kiss, and this time they ignored the next series of cheers that erupted from the room next to them as the rest of the precinct celebrated with high fives and claps on the back. Esposito turned to Ryan with an open palm.

"You owe me fifty bucks dude, told you it would take them this long."

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YAY for Castle! Is it September yet? I can't wait to see how the writers try to redeem themselves for the finale haha. R&R, I love hearing from you guys :)


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